By 
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday received his first dose of the Coronavirus vaccine on live television as part of a growing effort to convince South Africans that the inoculations are safe.
By Tongai Mwenje
South Africa’s 80 000 doses of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine touched down at the OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday evening, 16 February 2021.
This is just weeks after the arrival of the controversial AstraZeneca vaccine.
Ramaphosa, on Wednesday afternoon took a dose of Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at a local hospital.
He confirmed this via his Twitter account:
Just took the vaccine! #WeChooseVaccination pic.twitter.com/ZkNg8jra4f
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) February 17, 2021
He further urged all health workers to register “to receive their vaccinations as they are our first line of defence against the coronavirus pandemic”.
Taking the vaccine was quick, easy and not so painful. I urge all our healthcare workers to register to receive their vaccinations as they are our first line of defence against the coronavirus pandemic. #WeChooseVacciNation #VaccineforSouthAfrica 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/11tyl1f9Xs
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) February 17, 2021
The country recently purchased COVID-19 vaccine from India known as AstraZeneca which was later on deemed ineffective against the dominant variant of COVID-19, which was detected in the Eastern Cape and has since been found in more than 30 other countries.
The country’s Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said that the AstraZeneca jabs would be donated to the African Union (AU).
Comments